Xerjoff

History of the house

For the American luxury fragrance buyer, Xerjoff is the Italian house that runs through Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. The brand was founded in 2003 in Turin (Italy) by Sergio Momo, an Italian entrepreneur with no perfumer training. Xerjoff sits in the luxury niche tier that American department-store beauty halls built up between 2010 and 2020, alongside Tom Ford Private Blend, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Roja Parfums and Creed.

The American breakthrough came with Naxos in 2015, a honey-tobacco-vanilla composition by Chris Maurice that became a Reddit niche fragrance forum favorite and pushed the Xerjoff name into the mainstream luxury niche conversation. The release coincided with the moment American buyers were rediscovering rich oriental masculines after the long austerity of aquatic and woody-citrus marines dominating the 2000s. Naxos became the gateway scent for thousands of American niche buyers and remains the brand's most-reviewed US release.

Distribution in the United States runs on two tracks. The department store track covers Bergdorf Goodman (Manhattan flagship), Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom and Holt Renfrew in Canada. The niche specialty track runs through Osswald NYC (the brand's most prominent Manhattan niche partner, alongside Aedes de Venustas), Twisted Lily (Brooklyn), Indigo Perfumery (Cleveland) and Luckyscent (Los Angeles). Pricing in US retail sits between 285 and 695 dollars per 100ml for the core line, with Casamorati 1888 positioned at 165 to 245 dollars.

The Casamorati 1888 sub-line, launched in 2010, uses the name of a Bologna-based heritage perfume house founded by Claudio Casamorati in 1888. Xerjoff acquired the naming rights and rebuilt the line as a contemporary reinterpretation. Mefisto, Bouquet Ideale and La Tosca have become the line's American signatures. The XJ Shooting Stars limited-edition line pushes into the 2,500-dollar-per-bottle territory aimed at Middle Eastern and Russian luxury collectors who also drive the US flagship buyer's tastes.

The house remains family-owned and independent, run by Sergio Momo and his children. There has been no acquisition by an American or European luxury conglomerate, unlike Tom Ford Beauty (Estee Lauder Companies) or Maison Francis Kurkdjian (LVMH since 2017). Xerjoff Group also distributes sister brands Casamorati 1888, Renaissance, Join the Club and Pikovaya Dama through a shared distribution network.

Olfactive signature

The Xerjoff signature in American luxury niche perception is Italian opulence with Middle Eastern accents. The brand leans heavily on oud, rose, honey, tobacco, dense resins (frankincense, opoponax) and rich white florals (tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom). This register reflects the influence of the Saudi, Emirati and Gulf flagship buyers whose tastes also shape what Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus stock in their luxury fragrance halls. American niche reviewers (Persolaise, Fragrantica top reviewers, Reddit r/fragrance) consistently flag Xerjoff as the "Italian luxury answer" to Roja Parfums and Amouage.

The brand's American writing splits across three core territories. The Xerjoff core line plays luxury opulent oriental, anchored by Naxos (2015, honey-tobacco-vanilla) and Casamorati Mefisto (2010, aromatic wood). The XJ Shooting Stars line pushes into ultra-premium oud and rose constructions priced into the four-digit range. The Casamorati 1888 line stays more accessible with floral chypre and oriental builds at department-store luxury pricing.

Three signals make Xerjoff recognizable to American luxury niche buyers:

• Luxury opulence positioning, opposite of the sober Italian niche houses (Bois 1920, Eau d'Italie) and aligned with the American luxury department store register.
• Middle Eastern-leaning compositions, the oud-rose-honey-resin axis that connects with the Gulf taste profile and informs American flagship buyer demand at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus.
• Dual line strategy, Xerjoff core at 285 to 695 dollars and Casamorati 1888 at 165 to 245 dollars, covering both the prestige and accessible luxury niche tiers without diluting brand equity.

Key characteristics

Notable perfumes

The Xerjoff catalog runs across more than fifty active references when totaling the Xerjoff core, Casamorati 1888, XJ Shooting Stars, Join the Club and Pikovaya Dama lines. The selection below covers the US-cited milestones, with perfumer credits published by the house and verified through Fragrantica. Pricing reflects current Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue retail.

Frequently asked questions

See also